Hatters attacker 'excited' to welcome supporters back

Luton attacker Harry Cornick admitted both he and his Town team-mates can’t wait to get back out on the Kenilworth Road pitch in front of some supporters this evening.

The Hatters will have a crowd inside their ground for the first time in over nine months, since February 29 when they drew 1-1 against Stoke City.

The lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing social distancing measures have meant all of Town’s home matches have been played behind closed doors since James Collins scored that late penalty against the Potters.

However, with Luton in tier two restrictions, they are allowed up to 2,000 spectators at outside events, with Town trialling half of that number for the match against Norwich.

Cornick said: “It should be good, it’s been a very long time, so we’re excited to play in front of them.

“It’s 1,000 to start but hopefully if it all goes smoothly then more and more can come and watch and we can be back to full capacity in no time.

“It’s a big loss as our home support has been, in the last three years I’ve been here, something which has been really crucial to our climb up the league, so it’s been a big loss.

“It sort of feels normal now to not play in front of fans so when you start hearing a few chants going round and some people singing, it’s going to be very strange, because I can’t actually remember our last game with fans, it feels so long ago.”

Although the supporters will be spread out at the ground, Cornick is still hopeful of an atmosphere being generated by those in attendance.

He continued: “I don’t know how it’s going to feel, they’re going to be so spaced out, but 1,000 people are better than none.

“It will be a bit like when we used to play in the Checkatrade Trophy, it will be similar to that, and they made some noise, so hopefully they can get behind us.

“It’s always a good atmosphere, especially on the night games.

“So if it can be anything like it used to be, it’s going to be a massive bonus to us and spur us on in a tough game.”

With the festive period almost here, then Cornick is hopeful that he will get to hear a few renditions of Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ song, which has been altered in his honour.

He said: “I do like Christmas time, I do like that chant, so hopefully 1,000 fans can sing that, that would be nice for me, after I score.”

Without supporters at games recently, manager Nathan Jones can be heard crystal clear bellowing instructions to his players from the dugout.

Cornick doesn’t expect that to change no matter how many supporters are there either, adding: “You can always hear Nathan Jones, you can always hear him screaming your name.

“Even if there was 40,000 fans, I would still hear his voice on the touchline, there’s no doubt about it!

"You’re not going to hear some of the things you hear in the game, your players scream at you, what they want you to do, the shape they want, so it’s going to be harder in terms of communication on the pitch.

"But it shouldn’t change that much, as we're so well drilled now on where we need to be and how to play, so should be fine.

“I don't think anyone will be any more nervous than they usually are either, we've just got to go into it as if it's another game really, there'll just be more added noise."